Aim- and TSX-listed African mining royalty generator Altus Strategies, under a joint venture (JV) with ASX-listed Marvel Gold, has commenced a 3 800 m drilling programme at its Lakanfla gold project in western Mali.

Lakanfla hosts extensive hard-rock artisanal gold workings, with historic drilling having returned high-grade intersections, including 5.1 g/t gold over 26 m from 32 m, and 4.3 g/t gold over 18 m from 34 m.

The planned 18-hole programme will employ a multipurpose drill rig capable of reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling. RC drilling is expected to better handle the variable lithological and ground conditions in the karst target areas, resulting in the maximum amount of sample being collected.

The programme will test four karst-style gravity-low targets which surround a major granitic intrusion.

Marvel is earning an initial 33% interest in the project under the JV, while Altus holds a 2.5% net smelter return gold royalty on Lakanfla.

The 24 km² Lakanfla gold project is located 5 km east of Altus’ Diba (Korali Sud) oxide gold project and about 6.5 km southeast of the karst-type FE3 and FE4 openpits of the multimillion-ounce Sadiola gold mine and 30 km southeast of the former multimillion-ounce Yatela karst-type mine.

Lakanfla is bounded by the Sadiola permit area on its north, west and southern boundaries. Sadiola and Yatela are being acquired by Allied Mining from the existing operators AngloGold Ashanti and Iamgold Corporation.

However, Altus points out that mineralisation hosted on these properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralisation hosted at Lakanfla.

Altus CE Steven Poulton says the drilling is targeting a karst-style geological model, defined by about a 7-km-long gravity low that surrounds a granite intrusion. “The karst-style model represents an exciting target at Lakanfla and is analogous to certain pits at Sadiola and the former Yatela gold mine, located 6 km and 30 km to the northwest respectively.”

Marvel will also be undertaking passive seismic surveys over the gravity lows at Lakanfla. These surveys are used to identify density contrasts between various lithologies up to 700 m below the surface.

Marvel believes the density contrast between dissolved carbonates and fresh rock can be used to model the base of the gravity lows in three dimensions. This data can then be calibrated against the drill results to aid target generation for follow-up drilling.

None of the priority gravity low targets defined by Altus have been systematically drill tested to date.

Of the historical drilling that has been undertaken at Lakanfla, 35 holes coincide with the priority targets.

However, the majority of the holes drilled were no deeper than 75 m vertical depth. One was drilled deep enough to test the karst potential, attaining a vertical depth of 161 m.

Critically, this drill hole (04KDD-08), located on the margin of a gravity low, reached the target depth and terminated in loosely consolidated sand (from 165 m to 171 m), having also passed through voids and unconsolidated material.

Altus considers that this hole provides strong evidence for the presence of a potential karst-type system.